To the editor:

I am writing this letter in response to the letter published in the Gazette written by Ms. Joan Chadde. Her implication of a valuable asset to the County Board of Commission implied that a carpetbagging “trained lawyer” would be valuable.

The much-needed items that this trained lawyer would be able to address mentioned priority planning, privatization, collaboration and recycling. It did not address the real issues that the county is facing.

This year the Obamacare increase for our county employees medical insurance is $280,000. The county is wearing out the sheriff’s patrol cars and spending a whole lot of overtime bringing clients from the Copper Country Mental Health to facilities hundreds of miles away for their treatment and care. These costs are not reimbursable under Obamacare.

The trained lawyer who has not looked into the problems facing this county will not be able to finance these shortfalls with her recycling.

All of her “fine” qualities that she can put forward do not address the problems. Accusing the current board majority with the rumor of attempting to privatize the Houghton County Medical Care Facility is one of the Democrats’ talking points.

The payment of $1 million for the county’s unfunded liability on the employees pension fund is another tactic that the trained lawyer has been fed. This payment toward the unfunded liability was scorned at by the longest-serving minority board member, who wanted to use this money for an ice rink.

He also stated that we should bill the county employees for the unfunded amount of $11 million. This minority member wanted each employee to come up with $165,000.

This is not my first rodeo, as I have been involved with boards for over 30 years. I wonder how many boards this trained lawyer has sat on before.

Albert Koskela

Chassell